Into The Stretch.

The state House today ...... will likely vote on something approximating property tax reform. But what that is -- well, nobody knows. Legislative leaders met with Gov. Ed Rendell yesterday and emerged 90 minutes later without a deal, but nonetheless optimistic about their chances.Both sides are saying they want to get something done by the end of the week. We'll see.Meantime, further coverage is here, here, and here.

That Sound You Hear ...... could be the wheels of progress slowly grinding back into motion. Across the street from the Capitol, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones is expected to hand down his decision this morning in the landmark Intelligent Design case. There were no Clarence Darrows in this bit of courtroom jousting, but the implications of this case are just massive.

U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum ...... is supporting the Bush administration's very creepy policy of eavesdropping on American citizens without court authorization."The senator believes that, in a time of war, the president should have ... the constitutional ability to be able to use whatever means is necessary and legal to fight and win against our enemy," spokesman Robert Traynham said yesterday.OK: Let's review ... constitutional ability ... whatever means is necessary and legal ...We're not constitutional scholars, but we could have sworn that spying on citizens without warrants (regardless of what you suspect they're doing) was unconstitutional, unnecessaryandillegal.

Anti-Pay Raise Types ...... are claiming another scalp in Rep. Kevin Blaum's, D-Luzerne, announcement that he will not run for re-election in 2005."For some, this is the time to move on -- the public's angry," said Chris Lilik of the activist group The Young Conservatives of Pennsyvlania.All well and good, but here's a word of advice for the anti-incumbent forces: Try not to look too triumphant. This isn't a competition. People will decide not to run for re-election for the right reasons, the wrong reasons, and for reasons that have nothing to do with the raises. Happens all the time.

Despite All That Outrage ...... third party candidates are still finding it tough sledding to get onto the statewide ballot in this year of voter outrage..

If You've Ever Wondered Why ...... newspapers are having trouble keeping up with a rapidly mutating media world, here's a reminder. The Inquirer has just caught onto this blogging thing that all the kids have been talking about.

EdWatch (tm):Witha property tax vote looming, Gov. Ed stays close to home today. There's no public schedule. But we would be remiss if we didn't point out that the administration has lately been attaching this piece of Comintern-style boilerplate to all its press releases:"The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public
education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and
continuing economic investment to support our communities and
businesses." Politicians of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your ... brains.

Current Comments

Bah Humbug. Not exactly discovering that blogging thing. The piece is by the guy who's been the Inquirer's 5-day-a-week blogger since May - more than 500 posts. Tell me another newspaper that's committed a veteran staffer to full-time blogging?.

I appreciate both you thoughtful reply and concerns...but I do trust that the President is trying to safeguard the country as best he can...and if wire-tapping helps them to 'connect the dots' I am all for it. If there is eavesdropping on everyday conversations between average Americans then I would be outraged, but so long as it is targeted to suspected terrorists, I cannot object. We are at war with the Islamic Fascists, and I have a larger concern that our monitoring techniques were make public again! As they have in the past, our foe will no doubt adapt which will make the job of protecting the nation all the more difficult.

Posted By: Derek | Dec 21, 2005 11:20:26 AM

Derek:
Bias doesn't enter into it. We were just as creeped out when we learned that such a practice was used by a previous admiinistration.The idea that the government can worm its way into your telephone conversations for cause or without cause at all, is a fundamental betrayal of citzens' trust.
Although there is a case to be made (as George Will does in this morning's Washington Post) that the president's authority to take military actions is plenary, we still need to ask fundamental questions about how those decisions are reached and under what circumstances.
Just because a president can exercise almost unfetted executive power at all times, it doesn't necessarily follow that he should, nor without consult with the legislative or judicial branches.

But the Journal notes that in a 2002 case dubbed: "In Re: Sealed Case," the FISA appeals court decision cited a previous FISA case [U.S. v. Truong], where a federal court "held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information." Bush is well within in Constitutional authority to execute these types of wire taps...as was Clinton when he defended their use in his Presidency...please don't let bias blind you.

Posted By: Derek | Dec 20, 2005 2:21:27 PM

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